Photography competition and exhibition

The annual Student Photography Competition showcases and awards the creative talent of our diverse student community. Hosted by Edinburgh Global, the competition is a collaboration across the University to celebrate our shared communities, our city and green spaces, and student experiences.

2025/26 Student Photography Competition – Edinburgh Connections

This year’s theme, Edinburgh Connections, encouraged you to capture the connections at the heart of your student journey. Whether it’s the bustling energy of the city, the quiet appreciation of nature, or the diverse tapestry of communities and friendship, connections are the threads weaving the fabric of our university experiences. 

Let your images reflect the connections that define your time at Edinburgh and inspire others along the way.

The competition ran from 30 October 2025 to 17 February 2026 and was open to all University of Edinburgh students.

2025/26 winners

There were 314 photo submissions from students across the whole University. Across all of the entries, there were over 3,600 votes to choose the top-voted prize and a panel of six judges selected the winners.

  • 1st prize winner: Jamie Barbour
  • 2nd prize winner: Ashley Bian
  • City category winner: Wang Yizhe
  • Community category winner: Ignatius Jonathan Ban
  • Global category winner: Seugne Bosch
  • Nature category winner: Herno van der Linden
  • Principal's choice winner (selected by the principal): Ryan Henery
  • Top-voted prize winner (selected by popular vote): Francisco Emilio Hernadez Murguia

See these incredible entries below:

  • A group of children playing on a jetty at sunset.
  • A clock tower through branches at sunset.
  • Two people looking out at a clocktower with Edinburgh Castle visible in the background.
  • People huddled in a group overlooking Edinburgh city at sunset.
  • A person looking at a large door. The image is in black and white.
  • A bird flying away from a rock with waves in the background.
  • A long-exposed image showing where cars drive through Edinburgh.
  • A person sitting in the grass next to a highland cow. Mountains, trees and bushes are visible in the background.

More information

This article was published on